New Privacy Policy

Document version: 6.0.0

Effective from: 05/19/2025

Previous versions of the document can be found in: Changes in terms and conditions

General provisions

1. To preserve the privacy rights of Users of the animalhotels.com Website and Application and to comply with the provisions of the law, animalhotels.com provides its Users with the present Privacy Policy which includes information on the manner in which Users' personal data are processed and secured.
2. Animalhotels.com processes personal data in compliance with applicable legal regulations, including Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 (GDPR), the Act of 18 July 2002 on Providing Services by Electronic Means, and – where applicable – local data protection laws outside the European Economic Area, such as the UK GDPR (United Kingdom), CCPA/CPRA (United States – California), PIPEDA (Canada), LGPD (Brazil), APPI (Japan), and POPIA (South Africa).
3. Animalhotels.com has implemented the following rules:
   • data shall be collected for specified, explicit and legitimate purposes and not further processed by animalhotels.com in a way incompatible with those purposes ("purpose limitation");
   • before collecting data, the data subject shall always be informed in a clear and transparent manner of the purposes for which the data are processed ("lawfulness, fairness and transparency");
   • only data which are adequate and limited to what is necessary to fulfil the purposes for which they are processed shall be collected ("data minimisation");
   • data shall be accurate and updated if necessary ("accuracy");
   • data shall be kept in a form which permits identification of the data subject for no longer than is necessary for the purposes for which they are processed ("restriction of storage");
   • data are processed in a way that ensures security, including protection against unauthorised or unlawful processing and against accidental loss, destruction or damage by means of appropriate technical or organisational measures ("integrity and confidentiality").
4. Before using the animalhotels.com Website and/or Application and creating an account, the User should read the Privacy Policy.

Definitions

Policy – the present Privacy Policy.

Animalhotels.com – animalhotels sp. z o.o. (limited liability company) with its registered office in Łódź, H. Sienkiewicza 72, 90-318 Łódź, entered into the Register of Entrepreneurs kept by the District Court for Łódź-Śródmieście in Łódź, XX Commercial Division of the National Court Register under KRS number 0000934860, REGON (National Business Registry Number) 520527265, NIP (Tax Identification Number) 7252314345, share capital PLN 116,200.00.

Application – the animalhotels.com mobile application for Android and IOS systems.

User – a natural person whose personal data is processed by animalhotels.com in connection with the use of the animalhotels.com Website and/or Application.

Personal data – any information about an identified or identifiable natural person ("data subject").

GDPR (RODO) – Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data and repealing Directive 95/46/EC.

Care Service – paid services involving the care of an animal/animals provided by a Caretaker to a Pet Owner.

Website – the animalhotels.com website accessible to Users at https://animalhotels.com.

I. Data collection and processing

1. The controller of Users' personal data provided while using the Website and/or Application is animalhotels.com.
2. As a result of using the Website and/or Application, animalhotels.com may process the following personal data: name and surname, address, phone numbers, email addresses, tax identification number, date of birth, likeness, message content or review content.
3. Animalhotels.com ensures that its Users can use the Website and/or Application anonymously, however, to obtain full access to the services offered through the Website and/or Application, it is advisable to register by completing a registration form. The provision of data by the User is voluntary, although the provision of certain data is necessary to set up an account or use certain features of the Website and/or Application, e.g. to receive a newsletter. If the data are collected to comply with an obligation stipulated by law, the provision of data is mandatory.
4. After registration and logging into one's account, the User may provide additional personal data which facilitates the use of Services.

II. Purpose and legal basis for data processing

Provision of services

Animalhotels.com processes personal data to enable the provision and management of the Care Service, which is necessary for delivering the service. This includes sending Users information related to bookings, such as confirmations, reminders, changes, and, where appropriate, receipts and/or payment confirmations via the Website and/or Application.

Personal data is processed in compliance with applicable data protection laws:

• within the European Union, the legal basis for processing personal data is Article 6(1)(b) GDPR (acceptance of the Terms and Conditions of the Website and/or Application);
• outside the European Union, processing is based on local laws providing protection equivalent to the GDPR.

Marketing communication

Animalhotels.com communicates with the User for marketing purposes only if the User has provided explicit consent — for example, by ticking the appropriate box during registration with a discount voucher, selecting the relevant option in privacy settings, or submitting a clear request to receive such information by other available means — to send personalised marketing messages (e.g. via push notifications, emails, or platform notifications). The User may withdraw their consent at any time by clicking the “Unsubscribe” link in any message or adjusting their preferences in their account settings.

Personal data is processed in compliance with applicable data protection laws:

• within the European Union, the legal basis for processing personal data for marketing purposes is Article 6(1)(a) GDPR (User's consent to communication for marketing purposes);
• outside the European Union, processing is based on local laws providing protection equivalent to the GDPR.

Performance of legal obligations by animalhotels.com

Animalhotels.com processes data when it is necessary for the performance of legal obligations. This may include reusing data to:

• handle and resolve legal claims and disputes,
• address potential regulatory investigations,
• enforce the terms of the Website in relation to online bookings,
• comply with lawful requests from law enforcement authorities,
• ensure compliance with regulations applicable to Animalhotels.com.

Animalhotels.com may be required to collect and disclose the personal data of Users providing Care Services to tax authorities, in accordance with applicable legal provisions, including the DAC7 Directive and national regulations implementing this Directive within the EU. This may include identity details, contact information, tax identification number, payment details, and income information.

Personal data is processed in compliance with applicable data protection laws:

• within the European Union, the legal basis is Article 6(1)(c) GDPR (animalhotels.com compliance with legal obligations);
• outside the European Union, processing is based on local laws providing protection equivalent to the GDPR.

Ensuring the security and operation of the Website and/or Application

Animalhotels.com processes personal data if it is necessary to ensure the security of data processing on animalhotels.com and management of the ICT systems.

Personal data is processed in compliance with applicable data protection laws:

• within the European Union, the legal basis is Article 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest of animalhotels.com - ensuring the operation of the Website and/or Application and maintaining high service quality);
• outside the European Union, processing is based on local laws providing protection equivalent to the GDPR.

Communication between Users of the Website and/or Application

Animalhotels.com collects the content of messages and information provided by the User using this feature.

Personal data is processed in compliance with applicable data protection laws:

• within the European Union, the legal basis is Article 6(1)(b), (d), and (f) GDPR (legitimate interest of Animalhotels.com and User protection - ensuring the operation of the Website and/or Application and resolving communication issues between Users);
• outside the European Union, processing is based on local laws providing protection equivalent to the GDPR.

User reviews and ratings

Animalhotels.com processes data derived from reviews and ratings provided by Users in accordance with the Terms and Conditions to verify Users' satisfaction with services provided by other Users, ensure a high level of communication between Users, verify undesirable behaviour and ensure that appropriate action is taken in this regard.

Personal data is processed in compliance with applicable data protection laws:

• within the European Union, the legal basis is Article 6(1)(b) and (f) GDPR (legitimate interest of Animalhotels.com - ensuring the operation of the Website and/or Application, maintaining high service quality and improving service quality);
• outside the European Union, processing is based on local laws providing protection equivalent to the GDPR.

Handling inquiries from Website and/or Application Users

Animalhotels.com processes personal data to handle complaints from Users related to the operation of the Website and/or Application, contact the User or a third party using the Website and/or Application and take appropriate explanatory or corrective actions as well as clarify possible incidents related to the services and improve their quality.

Animalhotels.com erases the data when their storage is no longer required or restricts their processing if there are statutory requirements for retention of such data.

Personal data is processed in compliance with applicable data protection laws:

• within the European Union, the legal basis is Article 6(1)(b), (c), and (f) GDPR (legitimate interest of Animalhotels.com - ensuring the operation of the Website and/or Application, maintaining high service quality, improving service quality, and resolving communication issues between Users);
• outside the European Union, processing is based on local laws providing protection equivalent to the GDPR.

Investigation or protection against possible claims

In the event of possible claims against Users or the need to protect against claims, animalhotels.com may process Users' data obtained through the Website and/or Application.

Personal data is processed in compliance with applicable data protection laws:

• within the European Union, the legal basis is Article 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest of Animalhotels.com in legal defence or enforcement);
• outside the European Union, processing is based on local laws providing protection equivalent to the GDPR.

Newsletter

Animalhotels.com processes Users' personal data for the purpose of sending the Newsletter. The data processing and sending the newsletter require the User's consent.

Personal data is processed in compliance with applicable data protection laws:

• within the European Union, the legal basis is Article 6(1)(a) GDPR;
• outside the European Union, processing is based on local laws providing protection equivalent to the GDPR.

Promoting safe and trustworthy services and fraud prevention

Animalhotels.com processes data to prevent fraud, detect illegal or unwanted activities, and ensure animal safety and trust on the Website and/or App. In justified cases (e.g. reported booking issues), data may be processed to temporarily suspend a booking until the matter is clarified.

This may include contact details, booking records (including cancellations), location data, account details, reviews, browsing and communication data, and information submitted by the User or third parties.

Personal data is processed in compliance with applicable data protection laws:

• within the European Union, the legal basis is Article 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest of Animalhotels.com - ensuring the operation of the Website and/or Application and maintaining high service quality);
• outside the European Union, processing is based on local laws providing protection equivalent to the GDPR.

Service improvement

The personal data of Users using Animalhotels.com is used for analytical purposes, such as analysing how the Service is used, measuring operational performance, and improving services related to the Care Service. In addition to statistics regularly generated by Animalhotels.com for activity monitoring purposes, this data is also used for functionality testing and solving technical problems. The main purpose of processing data in this context is to analyse service performance, gain a better understanding of how the services are used, and ultimately to optimise and personalise the website and mobile application, making them more user-friendly and functional for the User.

Personal data is processed in compliance with applicable data protection laws:

• within the European Union, the legal basis is Article 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest of Animalhotels.com - ensuring the operation of the Website and/or Application and maintaining high service quality);
• outside the European Union, processing is based on local laws providing protection equivalent to the GDPR.

III. Data retention period

1. Animalhotels.com stores Users' personal data for the period necessary to fulfil the purposes for which they were collected. After this period, the data is erased or made anonymous in such a way that it is not possible to determine the User's identity.
2. Personal data may be stored for a longer period if such obligation results from the provisions of the law or if it is necessary for animalhotels.com to protect against claims or pursue claims against Users.
3. Data processed on the basis of consent are processed until the consent is withdrawn.

IV. User rights

1. Right to access personal data upon request by the animalhotels.com User that allows them to learn which of their personal data is processed and provides the User with a copy of such data. Notwithstanding the above, the registered User has access to the personal data they have provided to animalhotels.com through the User account on the Website and/or Application.
2. Right to rectify personal data - if the User's personal data are incorrect or incomplete, the User may request animalhotels.com to rectify or complete their data. Notwithstanding the above, the registered User has the right to correct their personal data through the User account on the Website and/or Application.
3. Right to limit personal data processing - the User may request a temporary suspension of the processing of their data in certain situations.
4. Right to erase personal data - in certain situations, the User may request the erasure of personal data processed by animalhotels.com.
5. Right to receive one's personal data in a structured commonly used format and to have them transferred when the processing is based on consent and carried out by automated means.
6. Right to withdraw consent to the extent that processing of personal data is based on consent. The User has the right to withdraw their consent at any time.
7. Right to object to the processing of personal data the User may object to the processing of their personal data on the basis of a legitimate interest or for statistical purposes (due to their particular situation) or to the processing of data for direct marketing purposes.
8. In the event that a User believes the processing of their personal data violates the data protection laws of their country, they have the right to lodge a complaint with the appropriate data protection authority – particularly in the EU Member State of their residence, place of work, or location of the alleged breach.

For Users residing in Poland, the competent authority is the President of the Personal Data Protection Office with its registered office in Warsaw. Further information on submitting complaints is available at: https://uodo.gov.pl/pl/83/155.

V. Profiling

The User's personal data processed for marketing purposes is subject to automated decision-making processes, including profiling. Therefore, based on the personal data stored by animalhotels.com and information regarding the services purchased by the User or cookies stored on the User’s device, animalhotels.com will make inferences concerning User's preferences and interests, which may be used to build the User's marketing profile.

VI. Cookies

1. Animalhotels.com uses cookies.
2. Cookies are IT data, in particular text files, which are stored on the User's device and are intended for the use of animalhotels.com websites. Cookies usually contain the name of the website they come from, the time they are stored on the device and a unique number.
3. The Service Operator is the entity placing cookies on the User's device and accessing them.
4. Cookies are used for the following purposes:
   • remembering User preferences regarding consent to cookies, which is carried out using CookieScriptConsent (https://cookie-script.com/legal/privacy-policy). The data storage period is 1 month;
   • maintaining Users' session (after logging in), thanks to which the User does not have to re-enter their login and password on each sub-page of the Website. The data storage period is 1 year and 1 month;
   • for statistical purposes, which are carried out by means of the Google Analytics Pixel (Google Inc. based in the USA; animalhotels.com does not transmit personal data to the operator of this service, only anonymised information). The service is based on the use of cookies on the User's terminal device. With regard to information on User preferences collected by the Google advertising network, the User can view and edit the information which is derived from cookies using the following tool: https://www.google.com/ads/preferences/), Hotjar (does not transmit personal data to the operator of this service, only anonymised information; https://www.hotjar.com/privacy/);
   • for marketing purposes, which are carried out by means of Pixel Facebook Ads (Meta Platforms, Inc., Meta based in the USA; animalhotels.com does not transmit personal data to the operator of this service, only anonymised information, https://www.facebook.com/privacy/policy) and by means of Google Ads (Google Inc. based in the USA; does not transmit personal data to the operator of this service, only anonymised information https://policies.google.com/privacy) and Microsoft Bing Ads (including Microsoft Clarity; Microsoft Corporation based in the USA; https://www.microsoft.com/privacy/privacystatement).
5. Animalhotels.com uses two main types of cookies: "session cookies" and "permanent cookies". "Session cookies" are temporary files that are stored on the User's device until the User logs out, leaves the website or switches off the software (web browser). "Persistent cookies" are stored on the User's device for the time specified in the parameters of the cookies or until they are deleted by the User.
6. Animalhotels.com also uses Local Storge objects in the HTML5 standard, which are stored on the User's device. It stores the necessary data regardless of the browser used by the User and does not have an automatically set expiry date. To prevent the use of HTML5 storage objects, the browser must be used in incognito mode.
7. Web browsing software (Internet browser) usually allows cookies to be stored on the User's device by default. Website Users can change their settings. The web browser makes it possible to delete cookies. It is also possible to automatically block cookies. For details, the Users may refer to the help section of a given Internet browser.
8. Restrictions on the use of cookies may affect some of the features available on the animalhotels.com websites.
9. If the User does not wish to receive cookies, they can change their browser settings. Animalhotels.com stipulates that disabling cookies necessary for the authentication processes, security or maintaining user preferences may hinder and, in extreme cases, make it impossible to use the websites.
10. The cookie storage periods vary and can be accessed through the browser.

VII. Data transfer

1. Animalhotels.com may disclose the Users' personal data at the request of public authorities or other entities entitled to such access by law, in particular when it is necessary to ensure the security of the systems or the rights of other Users as well as at the request of Users or when it is necessary for the performance of Services offered by animalhotels.com.
2. Data may be disclosed only to trusted recipients, including business partners that process data on the basis of personal data entrustment agreements. All entities to whom the data is disclosed are obliged, on the basis of entrustment agreements or directly by data protection legislation, to provide appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure an adequate level of data security. Personal data shall be processed for a period necessary for the purposes for which they were collected and processed or for the period resulting directly from the law.
3. Some animalhotels.com service providers may store Users' data outside the European Economic Area. In such cases, Users' data may be stored in countries that provide an adequate level of personal data security or in countries that do not provide such a level. Animalhotels.com secures Users' data by entering into agreements with animalhotels.com service providers containing the so-called Standard Contractual Clauses accepted by the European Commission, which guarantee security of Users' data in third countries.
4. Animalhotels.com transfers data (including phone numbers) to the SMS service provider Apifonica to provide verification codes and notifications.

VIII. External links

If the services offered by animalhotels.com redirect to other websites or applications, the newly opened links do not operate in accordance with the present Privacy Policy. The User should review the privacy policies published on these websites or applications to understand their procedures for collecting, using and disclosing personal data.

IX. Use of social media plug-ins

This website uses social media plug-ins from various providers. Without the User's interference, these buttons do not send any data to the respective social networks when visiting the Website and/or Application. Only when the given button is selected, a direct connection is established with the server of the respective social network after which it can collect data and use cookies.

X. Data safety

Animalhotels.com uses comprehensive security measures of a technical and operational nature to ensure that User data is protected against accidental or intentional manipulation, loss, destruction or access by unauthorised persons. As technology advances, the security measures used by animalhotels.com are regularly reviewed and updated.

XI. Chosen methods of personal data protection

1. The login and personal data entry areas are protected in the transmission layer (SSL certificate). This ensures that the personal and login data entered on the website are encrypted on the User's device and can only be read on the target server.
2. User passwords are stored in hashed form. The hash function works in a one-way manner - it is not possible to reverse it.
3. Animalhotels.com periodically changes its administrative passwords.
4. Animalhotels.com makes regular backups to protect Users' data.
5. Animalhotels.com updates all software and programming components that are used to process personal data.

XII. Changes to the Privacy Policy

Animalhotels.com strives to ensure that its Privacy Policy and the GDPR are regularly updated. In the event of a change in legislation, judicial law, guidelines of the authorities responsible for supervising the processing of Personal Data, changes in technology, methods, purposes or legal basis for the processing of Personal Data, animalhotels.com will introduce the changes to this Privacy Policy and the GDPR accordingly and notify its Users via email to the address provided by the User or by a text message to the User's phone number as well as by a message displayed on the Website and/or Application.